How Can I Mix Music?

While recording music can be exciting, unless it's mixed well, the result can be less than satisfying. Mixing music is a skill learned from experience, and beginners will certainly make plenty of mistakes they can learn from. There are infinite variables with sound, the equipment used to capture it, and people's ears, so there is no golden rule. There are however, a few basic concepts that will help a mixing novice avoid some common pitfalls.

Cleaning up

Isolate and listen to each recorded track to check for any errant crackles, buzzes and pops. Most of these can be edited out quite easily with most recording and editing software, which will make the mixing process (and the end result) easier on the ears. If a signal has been recorded too hot and produced the digital distortion known as "clipping," then you're probably better of re-recording the part. Unlike analog distortion, which can add warmth to a mix, these clipped signals are very unpleasant to hear and will severely compromise the quality of any mix.

Monitoring

You may have come to rely on your headphones while tracking, but when you're mixing, you need a pair of flat-response studio monitors to audition your mixes. These speakers won't color the sound with any boosted frequencies like headphones do. The aim is to give the most accurate representation of how your music really sounds.

Setting levels

One of the main areas of focus in mixing is the comparative volume level of vocals and instrumental tracks. Have instruments too loud and the vocal can be swamped; have them too soft and the vocal can appear to be sitting awkwardly on top of the mix. There's no trick to this, but it's a good idea to make two or three mixes with the lead vocal at varying levels, so that you can audition them for a day or two before you make a decision.

Tweaking the EQ

Equalization (EQ) is the most commonly used (and abused) effect in mixing. The most common mistake most novices make is trying to make instruments stand out in a mix by boosting various frequencies. Adding EQ takes up space in the mix and robs you of headroom, and it's easy to end up with a cluttered mix of instruments all fighting to be heard. Instead, try cutting EQ to carve out space for other tracks. An example would be removing unnecessary low frequencies from vocal and guitar tracks. Since these frequencies are not really essential to the guitars and vocals, cutting them gives the low frequencies of the kick drum and bass more to be heard more clearly.

Adding sparkle

Effects such as reverb and delay can add a little sheen and gloss to your tracks, but as with EQ, a light touch is best. Reverb tends to move a track back in the mix, so overdoing it on a lead vocal will give it less presence. In contrast, a drier signal will sound more upfront, so a little experimentation is in order. A reverb-laden track will get old after repeated listens, so a good rule is to add reverb until it sounds good to you, and then take a little away. Too little, is preferable to too much.

Think mono!

If you're recording a single instrument such as a piano as an accompaniment to a vocal, there'll be lots of space in the song, and a stereo piano track will lend a fuller, more panoramic feel to it. However, a full band track with guitars, bass, drums and multiple vocals won't have much sonic space for stereo tracks. Experimenting with pan controls of mono sound sources until you find the right place for them to sit is far less problematic than muddying a mix by trying to find space for multiple stereo parts.

Source:

20 Tips on Mixing

More Information:

The Perfect Mix

Recording Forum

Mix Magazine